<p>Is it true that the competition for students from NJ is more tough than in other states. I'm an AA female who goes to a good school...does this mean my chances are at a disadvantage or that an award (for example one of my regional competitions) I win has more credibility?</p>
<p>I think there is an extra element of competition from NJ as opposed to other places such as, say, Montana or Wyoming. That’s because a lot of the most selective schools are in the Northeast and they naturally draw from the surrounding states. It’s also because NJ has a high percentage of parents who are smart and ambitious, qualities which often pass to their kids. Look at the cutoff for National Merit Scholars–if I’m not mistaken, NJ has the highest cutoff of any state. So, yes, I do think in certain ways we New Jerseyans have to be extra good in order to make an impact.</p>
<p>White, NJ female here, and I heartily concur with everything lauriejgs said, and I’d like to add one other thing - no one wants to stay in-state. I think that it’s partly a lack of state pride, and partly a lack of Rutgers pride. Lots of kids only use Rutgers as a last ditch safety or refuse to apply at all, and personally, it’s the only NJ school other than Princeton that I’m applying to. I’ve talked to so many kids who apply to East Stroudsburg on the other side of the Delaware when Willy P or Richard Stockton is just as good at roughly half the price. UDel, PSU and Drexel all beat out Montclair State for most applicants from my school (In the interest of full disclosure, Rutgers, my local community college and TCNJ were the top three). The disdain here for state schools is crazy, although maybe it’s just more in my area because it’s rather affluent and parents can afford to send their kids out of state. </p>
<p>I do think that being from NJ makes the competition a little tougher, just because so many NJ kids apply everywhere (we’re like cockroaches) but I view it as a reasonable trade-off for having one of the best K-12 education systems in the country. Can’t have the sunshine without a little rain lol. </p>